Bottle-cleaning apparatus.



No. 627,6l2. Patanted Junem, m9;

' FISCHER, n. H! BDBOWSKE & T. P. GOEBEL.

BOTTLE CLEANWE APPARATUS.

(Application: filed Apr. 8, 1899.)

No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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WITNESSES. V a 5M TOM: .4 I, rag aw N rx 'l wa/rru 7: i I v v miav'e 1?UNITED ST TES PATENT O FFic s.

. F DETROIT, moments.

BOlTLE-CLEAN l NG APPARATUS.

srncrmosmonrormin part of Letters Patent No. 627,612, dated June 27,1899.

Application filedApx-il 8 1899. Serial No. 712.218. (No moclehl {To allwhom it may concern..-

Be it known that we, BERNHARD FISCHER, RICHARD H. Bonows r; and THEODOREP.

GQEBEL, citizens of the United States, resid-i -ing at Detroit, countyof 'Wayne, Stateof Michigan, have invented a certain new anduseful'lmprovement in Bottle-Cleansing Apparatus; and we declal e thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as'will-enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a partof this specification. .Our invention has for itsobject a bottlecleaning apparatus of novel construction and it consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described. andclaimed, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure'lis a plan View illustrating features of our invention. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the apparatuses the line 2 2, Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4.- isatransverse section through one of the bottle-carrying plates.

'Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of one of thebottle-carrier'platesin perspective. Fig. 6 is a detail view of theeccentricejector. Fig. 7 is aviewillustratinga scraper attachment.

rinsing the same.

To properly soak and cleanse the bottles, it is desirable that the"bottles should be conveyed into and through a proper solution in such amanner that when in the cleansing solution the bottles shall be carriedwith their open necks uppermost andwhereby air will be entirely expelledfrom-the bottles and the bottles filled with the desired solution, the

bottles remaining in the solution a suliicient time to loosen allforeign matter therefrom. 7

This our improved apparatus is. adapted to accomplish and when thebottles have been sufficiently soaked to release the bottles from theretaining device, so that they may be readily removed from the apparatusfor further action in a ready and simple manner. To secure theseresults, we carryout our invention as follows: I

A suitable receptacle or tank is indicated at a, adapted to contain adesired solution.

This receptacle may be of any desired .pro-

height. In'this receptacle is caused to move a suitable bottle-carrier,consisting, as shown,

said chains being of sprocket-chains b and 0, carried by sprocket-wheelsd, driven by any suitable source of power, as by means of anyshafts fand h may be suitably journaled in These carrierthe walls of thereceptacle a chains 12 and c may beof any desired length correspondingto the length of the recepta; ole a. Engaged with a series ofbottle-carrying platesor holders, (indicated by the numeral 1,) anydesired portions both as to length and width and 55- the carrier-chainsare number of suchp1ates or holders being secured to the carrier-chains.These plates or holders are shown provided at each extremity withattaching-arms, (indicated at 2,) by means of which these individual'plates are connected at their four corners with the two sprocket-chainsb c in any suitable mannor. These bottle-carrier plates are providedwith a series of openings 3, each'arranged and adapted to receive theupper endof a bottle. These plates 1 are preferably co'nstructed on theare of a circle, thearc extending 'transversel y of nally of thecarrier-chains, the plates being concaved on their inner faces. Thiscurved construction of the plates is of special utility, especially forthe passage of the chains and plates over the sprocket-wheels. at theends of thercceptacle ortank. -The plates are the plates orlongitudimade arc-shaped in cross-section to correspond with the arc ofthe circles of the sprocket-wheels. The plates 1 are also provided withretaining-arms, (indicated at 4.) These arms-are made of spring metaland are attached to the inner surfaces of the respective plates in anysuitable manner, as by' betweenjust below the head .or customary flangeof the bottle, so' that the bottlcsare thereby securely held andsupported even in. inverted position. These arms 4. project from theinner 'face of the plates. The bottleholder plates 1 are so engaged withthe sprocket-chains as to be held in rigid connection therewith. As thebottle-holding plates are moved with the chains inthe directionindicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 the bottles :irdcarried into uprightposition, with their mouths uppermost, and in this position the bottlesare carried through the solution to the dischargeend of the tank. fReferring to Fig. 2, the right hand of the figure is preferably thereceivingendr-that is, the endof the apparatus at which the bottles'tobe-soaked and cleansed are inserted into the bottle-holding plates 1. Atthe right hand of- Fig. 2 a series of bottles are shown engaged in thebottle-holding plate, the bottles being preferably engaged in the platesin over the adjacent sprocket wheels or ,over

successive order, as. the plates reach practically the positionindicated by the plate occupying-'the right-hand'upper corner ofthedrawings in Fig. 2.

It will bu seen that the bottles are inserted into the platessuccessively above the waterline in the tank; but as the plates revolveand about the shaft of said wheels the bottles are carried graduallyinto an angular position as they enter the fluid and are gradually in-"verte'd into'upright position within the fluid,

a the air'be'ing thus readily expelled from the bottles and the bottlesbeing filled with the solution in the tank. In this upright position theair being expelled from the bottles and the bottles being filled withthesolution :they are carried in upright position through the solution inthe tank to the discharge end of the apparatus.

numeral 7. At the discharge end of the tank we locate an ejectingde'viceS. This ejecting the adjacent sprocket-wheels. This eccentric orcarn'plate may be adjusted into desired no- (Indioated at the left hand inFig. 2.) Thebottles'are indicated by the sition in-any suitable manner,as by means of a bar 10, which maybe adjustably engaged with the wall ofthe tank. The cam is of such form that as the bottle-carrier platesrotate thereabout the necks of the bottles when in partially-invertedposition will contact with the cam and be forced gradually from the gripof the arms 4, so that the head of the bottle shall be released from thearms and forced upward above the extremities of the arms. In thisposition the bottles, althongh not dischargedfrom the openings 3 of thecarrier-plates, will be practically released from the spring-arms 4, sothat the said arms will have no tension upon the bottles, permittingthe-bottles to be readily removed from the plates.

It will be observed that as the plates ride upward on the arc of acircle, with the sprocket- 6 chains over the adjacent sprocket-wheels atthe discharge end of the apparatus, the. bottles will be graduallyinverted bottom end uppermost, whereby the solution within the bottleswill be entirely discharged therefrom,

leaving the bottles empty as well as released' from the spring-; rms 4.

The boxes of one of the shafts of the sprocket-wheels may be madeadjustable in any suitable manner, so that the sprocketchains are'readily disengaged from and engaged with the sprocket-wheels andwhereby any desired tension may be given to the sprocket-chains. Thebottle-carrier plates 1, being connected at the four corners. thereofwith the sprocket-chains, will be held in rigid connection with thechains, so as to be carried through the solution in an invertedpositionrelative to that occupied by said plates when moving above the solution.I

As shown more specifically in Fig. 3, corresponding links of thesprocket-chain may be formed with an attaching lug or shoulder 12, withwhich the cones ending arms 2 are connected, as by NW5 *3, permittingthe rigid engagement of the plates with the chains and the removing ofthe plates therefrom, if necessary. I

In Figs. 2 and 7 we have shown a scraperblade (indicated at 14) securedto the sprocketchains, as by arms 15, whereby any refuse matter withinthe tank may be forced to one end of the tank to be removed therefrom.The solution may be heated in any suitable manner, as by means of aninlet steam-pipe, (indicated at 16.) It will be perceived that theoperator is not required to place his hands in the solution in the tankat all, so that the solution may be of greater strength and may be morehighly heated than would otherwise be the case, permitting moreeflfective work to be done. We do not limit ourselves to any definitenumber of the bottle carrier plates, but ordinarily they may be ofsufiicient number so that two operators may be employed, the one toinsert the bottles to be soaked and cleaned in the plates atone end ofthe tank, another operator being stationed at the opposite end of thetank to remove the ptied and plates.- Where two operators are employedat the two extremities of the apparatus, it will be perceived that theplates will travel I from the discharge end back to the receiving endempty. in the customary use of the appaa ratus hpi while traveling fromthe receiving 4 of the bottle-carrier end to the discharge end theplates would ordinarilyallbe filled with bottles being slowly carriedthrough the solution in the tank.

It will be perceived that the retaining-arms plates all project toward ahorizontal planeor center intermediate the upper and lower portions of'the travelingchains, whereby the mouths of the bottles are constantlyheld toward said horizon= tal center.

What we claim as-our invention is v 1. In a bottle-cleansingapparatus,the coin- "hina-tion of a receptacle, endlesshorizonta'llytravelingcarrier-chains, cling movement to said chains, andbottleholding plates rigidly attached to said chains, said plates eachprovided with bottle-receiving-openings and adjacent reta'iningclampingdeviccs projecting toward a horizontal npperand lower porcenterintermediate the tions of the travelingchains to hold the month ofa-bottle constantly toward said horizontal center, substantially as setforth.

2. In a bottle-cleansingapparatus, the con1- bination of a receptacle,end less horizontally travelin g carrier-chains, means to give a travselingai'novcmcnt to said chains; bottlc-hold-' 'i ng plates rigidlyattached to said chains, said plates each provided with bottle-receivingj openings and adjarcn t retain in gclainpi ng dcmeans to give a travvices projecting intermediate the upper and lower portions of thetraveling chains to hold the mouth of 'a bottle constantly toward saidhorizontal center, and means to loosen the bottles from the retainingdevices,

3 In a bottle-cleansingapparatus, the combination of the receptacle, thewheels, the chaips passing over said wheels,'bottle-holdking devicesattached to said chains, and an eccentric or cam to release the bottlesfrom the retaining devices, substantially. as set forth.

, 4. In a bottle-cleansing apparatus, the combination of a receptacle,horizontally-travelmovement to said chains, and bottle-holding "platesrigidly attached to said chains, said plates constructed arc-shaped incross-section, and each with bottle-receiving openings and ing toward ahorizontal center intermediate the'upper and lower portionsof thetraveling chains, for the purpose described.

5. In a bottle-cleansing apparatus, abottleholding plate arc-shaped incross-section and provided withaseriesof bottle-receiving open--ings,and adjacent retaining clamping-arms projecting toward the centerof the arc, sub-.

stantially as described.

6. In a bottle-cleansing apparatus, the combination of the receptacle,the wheels, the chains passing oversaid wheels, means attached to saidchains tocarry the bottles, and a scraper attached to said chains, forthe purpose described.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

BERNIIARD FISCHER. RICHARD H. BOROVVSKI.

, THEODORE P. GOERE L Witnesses:

rt'snavitosmwatoward a horizontal center substantially as set forth. I

ing carrier-chains, means to give a traveling 66 adjacent retainingclamping devicesproject-

